View Full Version : Need help finding an anime to show my class
xSerenadEx
2008-10-16, 20:10
I'm taking a Japanese class in high school. My teacher wanted to do a small segment on anime, and he recruited me to find an anime he can show to the class. I have a few criteria, and I was wondering if I could get some help:
1. It can't be too long. I'm looking for one of those animes that are only 12-13 episodes long
2. It has to be based in the real world. Many of the kids in my class are taking the class just because it's easy, and they really have no experience (or altogether interest) in anime. So I don't want anything involving aliens and stuff....ya know?
3. It has to be good....really good. I want them to enjoy it. I really don't want to show them something that will put them to sleep, since they know it's me that will have suggested it.
Other than that, I'm pretty open. Just say anything you think people who don't normally watch anime would enjoy.
I really appreciate the help in advance :P
Genshiken (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=1783)? An anime about people who watch anime. ;)
Limiting it to the "real world" really cuts into your options... I would recommend Kino no Tabi (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=575)--I think it's fairly friendly to the uninitiated.
Irenicus
2008-10-16, 20:45
Just show them a Miyazaki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki#Filmography) movie or something. If the class time's not enough, you could always continue the next day.
If you want serious themes, Princess Mononoke is your best bet. Though my personal Miyazaki favorite is Spirited Away, the Oscar-winning one, y'know.
Although other anime movies can also be shown. Satoshi Kon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Kon#Films) is also a very famous and critically-acclaimed director. Some of his movies might be too intellectual for lazy kids in a lazy class, but Tokyo Godfathers is a light-hearted family fare.
However, if you insist that it must be a series, maybe because the teacher will allot 25 minutes a class to that section or something, I do have a few suggestions:
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is 26 episodes, true, but you can cut down and only focus on the main Laughing Man plot, or vice versa and only show the episodic pieces as necessary. It's action-packed, it's on our world, though futuristic (cyberbrains!), it's sleek and very well-animated, it's been legally available in North America for a long time, and it's intellectual...although that last part might actually be a detriment in your situation, lol.
It's also a famous franchise in general and therefore quite "representative" of what's best in anime. On the other hand, being famous and shown on Adult Swim might mean your colleagues have already watched it.
Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann: although this one is also 26 episodes long, the first arc ended at episode 8, and episode 15 made for a very much excellent "ending" to the series (after that they had a timeskip and a "new" plot...and, IMO, episode 15 was a *better* ending than episode 26 by far). It's slightly above your 13 episode limit in that case, but two extra ones shouldn't be too bad, right?
As for the quality of the show itself, it's highly revered among anime fans, so there should be no problem there. It's even *more* action-packed than GITS...by a big margin; it has interesting characters, excellent animation, a very Gainax gung-ho attitude, and some comedy to go with it. It also requires much less brainpower to appreciate than GITS overall. Oh, and I'm pretty sure it's also available legally in the US...at least partially, last time I checked, which was a long time ago admittedly.
Although your teacher might have a little problem with the way a bikini-wearing, gun-toting lady is one of the main characters. But really now, nobody's that prudish! Oh, and it's not in the real world, so I might be stretching your criteria a bit there.
Edit: I don't know, jedinat, Genshiken doesn't seem like the kind of thing someone who isn't an otaku or a slice-of-life fan would appreciate, and the kids taking classes because they're easy strikes me as, well, you know.
Rec is a nice short series that is set in the real world, it shouldn't put your class to sleep or anything also.
Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien is another series which is set in the real world, it's actually pretty firmly grounded and even deals with situations that can and HAVE happened. It's licensed, so if you have to play it on a DvD player there you go. It's also been completed fully so all DvDs are out.
Elfen Lied isn't as grounded in the real world, since it deals with some supernatural stuff, but it's a great series and most likely wont bore anyone. It's got a lot of blood, guts, and upper body nudity though...
Personally, I'd probably lean more towards Kimi Ga (aka Rumbling Hearts) as it shows just how mature anime can be, that it's not all for kids like american cartoons are, and that would probably be a good thing for a Japanese class, since it holds true to what a lot anime series are in Japan.
Edit: there is a small bit of nudity in Kimi Ga in one episode, so depending on the age of the class both those could be out. I don't know what kind of rules the teacher or someone else has set... I don't think there is any nudity in REC, but in the first episode the chars do sleep with each other... and while it isn't shown (with nudity) you certainly know they did from sheets shifting and such.
Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu.
Short, great to watch in company (I was actually hooked to anime while watching it with some friends) and most importantly - it is hilarious! And you can watch as many episodes as you have time for, there is not really an overall plot to keep track of.
Edit: I don't know, jedinat, Genshiken doesn't seem like the kind of thing someone who isn't an otaku or a slice-of-life fan would appreciate, and the kids taking classes because they're easy strikes me as, well, you know.
It is a class. I was considering its relative cultural value compared to most anime.
And I dunno, when I was looking for easy A's I took racket sports and an intro art class--a language class never entered my mind, lol. I guess that speaks even more against the kids though, lol.
Anime Daisuki
2008-10-16, 21:41
Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu.
Short, great to watch in company (I was actually hooked to anime while watching it with some friends) and most importantly - it is hilarious! And you can watch as many episodes as you have time for, there is not really an overall plot to keep track of.
Lol, I suppose you should show this one, it's absolutely hilarious and might get them hooked on anime.
Duo Maxwell
2008-10-16, 22:15
Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu.
Short, great to watch in company (I was actually hooked to anime while watching it with some friends) and most importantly - it is hilarious! And you can watch as many episodes as you have time for, there is not really an overall plot to keep track of.
And you don't even need to watch the first season to understand this, so I also recommend this.
xSerenadEx
2008-10-16, 22:48
Thank you so much for the quick responses!
I'll be sure to check out all of these and see which one I want to go with. I'll let you all know when I finally decide on one.
Since you're showing it to a class of a lot of different personalities and both genders, I think you'd want something that is accessible to everybody. A comedy sounds about right, Fumoffu sounds like a great idea to show to a high school class. I think School Rumble would also be perfect to show to your class, there's no pre-quel to this one so it might be more appealing. There's no military stuff. Practically the entire series takes place at high school, the characters and the topics the series covers are everything a high school viewer should be able to relate to. It features both sexes too, only problem would be it's length, but it's episodic so you could end anywhere. Only one real issue I think would be the ending animation, that might freak some people out:heh:.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya yet, just about everybody loves that and it is one of the most highly recommended series when I browse around anime sites. What better anime to showcase to a bunch of high schoolers who havent' seen anything outside of the stuff on cartoon network? It's 13 episodes and will probably get a lot of people hooked. It's a bit edgy, but I remember seeing stuff far edgier than that in high school. It's also based on high school life but then you do have the supernatural stuff creeping in. If you wanted to impress some people I think this would be a great choice, maybe it's not "real life" enough though.
Azumanga Daioh(24 eps), Lucky Star(24 eps), and Minami-ke(13 episodes, lots of fanservice) might be good choices too, but you need to keep in mind the all girl casts. It is a japanese class though, probably most people would enjoy something like an Azumanga Daioh I would think.
If you're worried about any sort of fanservice or edgy type of stuff, you could try out Sketchbook Full Colors too(Also a 13 episode series), I haven't seen much of the series yet, but it's got great animation and seems to be very tame. Again it features both sexes and is very accessible, It's about high school life, but it might be too tame, also it's not one of the most hyped series so there's that thing about impressing your classmates. It might be worth checking out if you're worried about edginess though. (Also it may be too recent of a series though I'm thinking. It's not even licensed, I'd assume you'd be buying the commercial product if you were to show one of the series?)
james0246
2008-10-16, 23:26
Shorter Series:
Emma: A Victorian Romance (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=2695)
NieA_7 (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=46)
Haibane-Renmei (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=271)
Slightly Longer Series:
Nodame Cantabile (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4691)
Dennou Coil (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4345)
PLANET-ES (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=895)
Movies:
5cm Per Second (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4568)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=4151)
I actually thought about Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, however it's not as grounded in the real world as one may like, plus the way you watch the episodes (all out of sync) contributes a lot to the series imo. Something shown all out of order that way could confuse some people, so I think something else would be better for showing a class... especially with people who have very little interest in anime. Also based on that I would certainly rule out Lucky Star, since a lot of it is Otaku humor, and playing largely off Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya too lol. Also it's length is too long for what the OP is looking for. Azumanga Daioh could work, although I forget the episode count, but I do remember reach episode is comprised of like three 5 minute shorts or something... so could promote some discussion inbetween the shorts while still in class.
Aye, despite all of those things though, I think students would appreciate something that's as full of energy and is a little different than the standard series. It eases the viewer into the supernatural part too, remember it doesn't get all wacky until the end. If you just give the class a little primer, read the back of the dvd or something, I think they won't get freaked out about the anime.
You could also ask the class what type of anime they wanted to see, I think they'd want to see one of the more popular animes, so something like Haruhi is definitely something to consider. Besides the supernatural elements, the main characters, Kyon and Haruhi may have some eccentric personalities(what anime doesn't?) but they are actually "regular people" that are easy to relate to I think. Whereas something like Elfen Lied, you got some pretty psychologically disturbed characters and some very graphic gorefests, there's not a whole lot that's "regular" about this series. For sure, you'll be freaking out more people with Elfen Lied than with Haruhi IMO. And KimiNozo is just as niche as Lucky Star. While KimiNozo is a must see for drama fans, it's not the type of series you want to show to a group you're not sure are all into drama. Some students will be definitely put off by it a good deal and might be wondering what on earth they're doing watching such a heavy romance in a Japanese Langauge class.
I think you want something that is light, that everyone can enjoy, so Haruhi would get my vote, I think it's a very fun series that everyone could enjoy. Maybe it's too much fun though. If you wanted a more safe recommendation, with the most accessibility, it would have to be Fumoffu, Azumanga Daioh or School Rumble.
Also I think I remember a thread about Azumanga Daioh being shown to a high school class, it could have been a japanese class or an anime club, can't remember though. The poster was saying that everybody loved the series though. It features prominently high school life too, so you could discuss the school festivals, athletic festivals, about the career survey, the New Year's Dream, basically, with AzuDa, you could stimulate a lot of interest in some aspects of Japanese life and culture. It's 24 episodes but, it's episodic, you could skip some stuff like the teachers Yukari and Nyamo going to drink and other more adult issues that concern the teaches. You could probably skip the summer beach house episodes and focus on the school life ones. No matter, it's a great series, you shouldn't let the episode length bother you too much for such an episodic series and really consider this one.
School Rumble is just great if you want students to have fun, that thing has some really great first few episodes, not that Azumanga isn't funny either, but School Rumble, has less moe, but more messing around. I think it would be more well received among classmates for entertainment value, but for any sort of other value I'm not so sure...
How about something like Mushishi? Even though it's 26 episodes long, each episode can be a short story on its own. The setting isn't modern, but the central theme of a story in a episode has relevancy you might find today (I like episode 9 especially). Then again, I don't think everyone would be altogether interested in Mushishi, but you could always show 1 episode and see your class's reception of it.
And I 2nd Byousoku 5 Centimeter. You can show B5CM in 1 class session if your teacher was nice enough and assuming your average class period is around 50 or more minutes long.
Although, Full Metal Panic Fumoffu sounds like the ideal anime to get most of everyone in your class involved honestly since it's a comedy.
Ya Elfen Lied is certainly a bit more on the whacky side, but it IS a popular anime and lets face it... every day gore-fests happen in the world. None of them like how it happens in Elfen lied of course... but in a couple hundred (thousand maybe >_>) who is to say something like that couldn't happen?
As for Kimi Ga, it may be a little more on the niche side, but I still think it's a decent "first anime" for people. Most people with no interest in anime view it as for kids, much like cartoons, and showing them a mature (not adult/hentai) anime like Kimi Ga is a good way to "break" that. Although I will admit it may not be the absolute best for a High School class depending on the age/maturity of the class, but it's still a good show and fits the criteria the OP wants.
I just can't agree with Elfen Lied and KimiNozo being a good show to show a classroom. The series are just too niche, you will probably end up pleasing one half of the class and really pissing off the other half. For the one or two kids that would get bored with the absence of blood and gore, just let them be bored. Showing a scene where 10 heads get lopped off isn't worth pleasing a few sadistic high schoolers and will just shock some viewers into being even more unlikely to watch anime, where if you showed them something like AzuDa, they might be entertained and charmed by the series(Given the way anime is marketed on Cartoon Network, it's like all the stuff is action oriented, it would be nice to show them that there's sweet, adorable, hilarious shows too, sorts of shows you just don't find in the U.S.). Something like KimiNozo is also a very polarizing series, it's gonna be great for the drama lovers, but those who aren't into it will just be left wondering what on Earth they're doing watching an Anime that's supposed to be so serious and suffocating.
I have some more suggestions and really wanted to hammer home the AzuDa thing... Ghibli movies always seem like a good idea to show to newcomers. If you want something with more literary value, something like "Grave of the Fireflies" will jog their brains and show them that anime can be a medium for serious material too. You could just show 3-4 movies instead of a series. I think this is a choice worth seriously considering.
But I really think Azumanga Daioh is the best choice after all though. It's very funny, and serves as such a good lead-in to aspects of Japanese culture, the teacher would love that about AzuDa. Like I said before, it gives him/her a good platform to talk about Japanese high school life, stuff like culture festivals, shrines, the stuff they do on new years, some customs too. It's a good show that you can start a discussion about after watching. Now on the other hand imagine what would it'd be like to teach a class after showing them something like Elfen Lied which IMO has a lot of mindless violence. They're not gonna take the teacher seriously if you show them something like that. For KimiNozo, it'll just be awkward, showing them a series that's supposed to be so serious and suffocating, it's just kind of weird of to watch something like that in a classroom with your peers. I mean you have so many titles to choose from, why pick such weird titles that only appeal to certain people...
For Haruhi, it may take some reeling in after watching an episode, but I think it represents anime in a good way. It's a bit more contemporary but students will appreciate that for the entertainment value, maybe the teacher will too, though the premises are crazy, I only find a few scenes depicted in the series as a bit outlandish, plus I don't really take those scenes too seriously, which is the beauty of the series.
Ya, I get what your saying... I think one thing here is at first I missed the "high school" class part, which is partially where the Elfen Lied thing (and my edit about nudity) came in... if it isn't a high school class and done in like College Elfen Lied could very well be acceptable, but maybe for a in-depth focus project thing... Another thing is I'm probably thinking more along the lines of a few people watching it, and of course even if you can't please everyone you want to try to please most... and with the, how did you put it? "Polarizing" nature of both Kimi Ga and Elfen Lied it may be better to go with a comedy or a series of movie. The final thing is that I think I was thinking more like an anime fan thinking of something to show friends or something, when I/we should be thinking like a student or teacher.
Thinking about it (with those in mind and trying to think more like a teacher/student), Azumanga Daioh is probably the best option here like you said. Short episodes set around high school, and can easily lead off to different topics about various other things like the festivals and everything. Personally though, I still think Kimi Ga is a good "starter" series (especially for those who think anime is for kids), but you're right in that it is one of those hate it or love it things... Of course, if you're just trying to show someone there is more to anime then the kiddy things it doesn't matter if they like it or not lol.
As for Haruhi and the movies, both are good but unless you watch Haruhi in chronological order you're just going to end up with a class scratching their heads wondering what is going on. Personally I think the really enjoyable part about Haruhi was that it was meant to be watched OUT OF chronological order, leaving you with that headscratchy feeling. But that feeling may not be something you want in a class, and even though you can watch them in order I think the story looses something when done like that...
Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal - It's an OVA (4x ~40min episodes). It has violent action and moving drama. It's based in the real world and is mostly realistic, especially for an action anime.
SeedFreedom
2008-10-17, 09:28
Cant believe nobody said Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora. Only 6 eps, very realistic and very very good
Last Sinner
2008-10-17, 10:15
Okay, just wanted to say something.
As someone who remembers what it was to be a complete anime newbie 5.5 years ago and how much differently I thought of something like Elfen Lied because of a year's experience instead of being exposed to it early. There ar esome series one can watch from the block and ones that people need to know more about anime genres/styles/cliches/directors in order to appreciate.
Genshiken...is a good series. But to those who haven't seen anime before...it may really alienate some people or really stir up trouble in some jocks. You run some major risks with a lot of series mentioned already. Plus I once did teacher training (but the hell I'd ever be a teacher now!) and from what I learnt through that, teachers get a lot of scrutiny for anything that happens or is shown in their class. So I think the best approach for xSerenadEx would be to show something a bit unique, something that anime communities generally like, is filled with some references they will understand and some they may end up being intrigued by.
My opinion : FLCL. It's 6 episodes. Zany, philosophical, mind-bending, nothing too lewd for the classroom. A very solid, loaded, classic series. I have found this to be a series that is a good bridge for early anime fans to get into it more and also a good starter anime. I think the fact that a couple of episodes heavily parody schools in a good way may amuse your classmates and your teacher. Naota, Haruko and Manami aren't too left of centre. There's plenty of Western culture references. Plus that South Park parody is pure gold. And the music done by The Pillows is music that transcends language and is very feeling/passion-oriented.
So due to its content, length, the need for something appropriate for the uninitiated and for something heavily based in reality - I say FLCL. The town and places they use in the series are all real - a town called Mabase.
Question is - are you going to show it in sub form or dub form? Either will work for FLCL, which is a very rare case.
You could also try showing a movie. Maybe the Cowboy Bebop movie - Knocking On Heaven's Door. If you're allowed to show a couple of episodes of a couple of series - Cowboy Bebop and Trigun are enough of a mix of Western and Eastern influences for people to get to. Trigun's dub is actually better than the sub - which is the only time I have ever found that to be the case for any anime product. Maybe even Samurai Champloo with its slight infusion of hip-hop into circa 1600 Japan may work. In fact, for some historical perspectives on Japan, Samurai Champloo can provide some good moments. It does explain a fair bit of what life was like in the Edo period, the purpose of the samurai, the feudal lord system and a lot more.
It's your call, mate. But I hope what I said helps.
Irenicus
2008-10-17, 10:43
Now that I think more about it Fumoffu! does seem like a good idea. For one, I know I laughed my ass off when I was watching it; I still do now, in fact. For another, its comedy isn't otaku, or niche, or "unique." It also has a high energy throughout. It's an all-purpose, cross-cultural comedy, but with enough Japanese tinge to represent anime.
Hmm, I can't believe I missed that one.
Oh, but just make sure if you can actually show episode 9 (?) or not -- the second episode of the "Goddess [Tessa] Comes to Japan" arc -- since it has a lot of fanservice that might be a little too much for your teacher to be willing to take on. Teachers...don't like parent complaints over this kind of stuff.
Anyway, I don't usually do this in suggestion threads, since I think it's rude to discard other people's suggestions, but I'd really suggest against: romance, niche comedy, slice-of-life, and extreme gore. Romance and slice-of-life bores half the class; it will, trust me. We like them, sometimes, half the guys in that Japanese class will be guaranteed to hate you for wasting their time with them. Niche or very culturally-slanted comedy can be hard to appreciate -- I know that many casual fans of anime in fact don't like it at all. And too much gore is a no-go in a classroom setting. Colleges have leeway for that type of stuff, but even then it's still not a very good idea because people *can* be offended at them.
Hence, Elfen Lied and Rumbling Hearts/Kimi ga Nozomu Eien would be a bad idea; Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora is less melodramatic than KgNE, but it's still a romance. I'm personally even ambivalent towards Haruhi and AzuDai, though maybe I'm a bit too paranoid here.
SeijiSensei
2008-10-17, 12:26
Seconding Irenicus's thoughts here, especially the comment about parents. I can't even begin to imagine what would happen if one of the students with a socially or religiously conservative background went home and described what she'd seen that day when her class watched Elfen Lied.
Azumanga Daioh is a plausible suggestion, but I think you'd be better off with a show where both boys and girls are featured. That makes a show like School Rumble or Fumoffu! more appealing.
Here's a couple of other suggestions I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Moyashimon - Although the protagonist is a boy who can see microbes, and the show is sexually suggestive at times, it's also quite funny and educational as well. Might be too edgy for a high-school class though, and it is unlicensed (see below).
Read or Die OVA - I haven't seen this for a while, but I don't recall it having much content that would be seen as objectionable. Main character is a librarian, too. Story is a bit silly, but it wouldn't seem that strange to people who've watched superhero movies. Plus they blow up the White House in the opening scene! Only 3 DVDs.
When I was a kid movie theaters would show cartoons and short subjects before the main feature. In that tradition, I'd suggest a couple of episodes of Chi's Sweet Home at the beginning of each session. Each one only lasts a few minutes, and they're very funny. Shows some aspects of Japanese home life, too.
There are some legal issues you, your teacher, and perhaps the principal should consider. Fansubs are per se illegally infringing copies of copyrighted works, so showing them in a classroom setting may be off-limits. That would require buying a licensed title like AzuDaioh, School Rumble, or ROD.
If you're not opposed to science-fiction, the best current deal I know for licensed anime is the boxset for Noein (http://www.dvdpacific.com/item.asp?ID=896316). Great animation, a very detailed portrayal of a small city in Hokkaido, and nothing objectionable. The presentation of quantum mechanics would make a professional physicist cringe (http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?p=458827#post458827), but it might make some kids more interested in learning something about physics. The extra features include a tour of the town with the director and lead seiyuu.
Shadow Kira01
2008-10-17, 15:57
For a high school class? 13 episodes top.. Have to be something like slice of life genre..
13 Episodes
Aria the Origination
Gokusen
Shigofumi
True Tears
12 Episodes
.hack//Legend of the Twilight
Mononoke
Toshokan Sensou
Yomigaeru Sora ~Rescue Wings~
11 Episodes
Ayakashi - Japanese Classic Horror
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